Jessica, our financial troubleshooter, tries to help a reader who has been
awarded a PPI payout but won't get the actual cash.

I have an ongoing dispute with Barclaycard regarding two separate PPI (payment protection insurance) policies, neither of which we required. One claim was dismissed, the second was upheld.

Barclaycard has now come back with an offer. I am in serious financial difficulty, and on a repayment plan with them. They have said that the majority of the refund will be kept and used to reduce the outstanding balance.

I tried to discuss the matter further and was told that there was nothing I could do about it. I can have the interest part but not the rest as they are entitled to keep the money, even though the policy should never have been sold to me in the first place.

BHSurrey

This is about two PPI refund claims. Barclaycard says that your husband voluntarily applied for the first policy without involvement from Barclays. It isn't changing its mind on that.

Your own case was upheld. You wanted a cheque rather than having the money put back on the card where there are outstanding debts. You also felt that the fact that the payments had been taken over time had increased the interest element on the debts that you already had on your card.

The bank says that, having incorporated 8pc compound interest per annum into the settlement figure, it has more than allowed for this.

As to the other point, if, for example, there are arrears on a mortgage or some other equally serious debt which could have a significant effect on the complainant, such as might lead to a utility being cut off, the bank or other lender might be expected to reconsider how the redress is paid. You say, though, that you do not have debts that fit this description. So, on the question of paying most of the money back onto the card, Barclaycard is not changing its stance.

PPI claims are trundling in great numbers through the Financial Ombudsman Service. Find out more via financial-ombudsman.org.uk. Or call 0300 123 9123 or 0800 023 4567 or write to the service at South Quay Plaza, 183 Marsh Wall, London E14 9SR.

Pension delays

I have been having considerable trouble receiving my private pension from Aviva. It is a section 32 buyout.

After several phone calls with Aviva about the choices I had, it finally confirmed that I would receive my pension within 10 working days of my 65th birthday. It requested my bank account number, the sort code and the address of my bank branch. I sent this information by return of post.

Ten working days after my birthday I contacted Aviva and was told that I had not received my pension because I had not sent a bank statement. I had not sent it previously because it had not been requested.

KRSouth Glos

This was a historic guaranteed pension surrounding which was confusion on Aviva's side. It told you time and again that you could have an option that in fact the fund was too small to accommodate.

It seems that poor training and miscommunication were behind the problems which led to delays in setting up the pension. Then on at least three occasions you were assured the £527 payments would start but they did not. All this was putting you under stress, particularly as you have recently suffered a stroke.

Two weeks after you wrote to me and a few days after I had approached Aviva for you, your pension was at last put in place. As well as backdated payments Aviva has also paid £150 in recognition of the poor level of service.

eBay problems

Two months ago I sent a postal order to someone for the purchase of a tablet PC which was being advertised on eBay. Having not received the item by the following week, I tried to telephone him three times and also emailed him to see where the PC had got to.

He finally answered via email, saying he had requested the address where the PC was posted and would email it to me. I never received this email and asked for my money back.

I waited another week and then emailed him again, to which he said that the postal order had been posted to me. This also did not arrive and eBay asked him to post the money back to me, which he claimed was now in the form of a cheque. To date I have still not received my money.

CP East Sussex

You have not provided me with a telephone number, which is a pity. Nevertheless I did find a number for the seller who seemed to be selling a large amount of similar products on eBay. On the several occasions I called the phone it just rang and rang.

You are not covered by any buyer protection and did not pay in a way which would have helped either, say, by card or by PayPal.

eBay says there is really nothing it can do. However, further to our conversations, it has put a strike against the seller and assures me it is keeping a watching brief. It is always wise to check the feedback when buying, although that is not fail-safe. For this seller, for example, it seems to be fine. The account has no other strikes and yours, from what has so far been found out, is the only item that has not been received.

As the seller lives in England you might consider taking the matter to the small claims court and/or consulting the Citizens Advice Consumer Helpline, the successor to Consumer Direct, on 08454 040506.

Tax refund

How can I obtain a refund of tax paid on a savings account when it should not have been?

EB Birmingham

The HM Revenue & Customs helpline number for repayment of tax on savings and investment income is 0845 366 7850, or go to hmrc.gov.uk/taxfreeinterest. The form you need for claiming tax already paid on savings is the R40. If your income is going to be below the income tax threshold in the immediate future, an R85 form needs to be registered against the account. This can be acquired from the deposit holder or downloaded via the above link.

 Because of the volume of mail received, it is not possible to respond to every letter and correspondence cannot be entered into. Please do not send original documents or stamped and addressed envelopes. Responsibility, legal or otherwise, for answers given cannot be accepted. Cases currently with an ombudsman, going through a court of law or sent to other columns will not be considered. In addition I cannot take up issues when the writer is a third party, other than in exceptional circumstances. I cannot respond to emails. A full postal address, a signature and daytime telephone number are needed.